


Blooming Ink

by PeriPeriwinkle



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22313473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeriPeriwinkle/pseuds/PeriPeriwinkle
Summary: Dorian finally opens his tattoo shop. He's thrilled about it and all, but he would certainly feel way happier if people didn't constantly think that the guy who owes the flower shop next door was the tattoo artist instead of him.But then the guy starts gifting flowers to his shop, so Dorian can't even get mad at the guy.How dare he be so nice.
Relationships: Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus
Comments: 9
Kudos: 40
Collections: The Collected Fanfics for the Adoribull Reverse Bang 2019





	Blooming Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Because of Life, I haven't been able to finish this properly, but I do hope you guys enjoy what I have so far! I will do my best to write the rest of this throughout the week and update it asap.
> 
> Happy adoribull minibang!!!

It wasn’t a mall, per se, despite its name. Not a proper one, at least. It was more like a shopping center - a series of long hallways, united by small gardens with benches and an open ceiling. The fact that all of these gardens were identical made the mall one hell of an unintentional maze, and patrons often found themselves lost amidst the hallways, trying to figure out which wrong turn they took because they’re  _ sure  _ they just went past this shoe store.

Dorian bought one of the newest stores in said shopping mall; when he purchased the space, a neighbor store had just started its own refurbishing. Dorian didn't think anything of it, of course.

At least at first, when he didn't know the owner of the store.

"Oh, hey," said owner says, while Dorian stares. "I'm The Iron Bull. Nice to meet you! Are we going to be neighbors?"

The man is humongous. Almost twice Dorian's width and height, massive arms, chest, collarbones,  _ horns.  _ He's never seen a qunari this big in his life.

"Dorian, and yes, I believe so. I'm sorry but _ is that a stick and poke tattoo sleeve on your arm?! _ "

"Oh!" Bull laughs, pulling his sleeve up, so Dorian can see that it actually goes up his shoulder and covers half his pec. Because  _ of course it does.  _ "Yeah, good eye! I got it when I turned sixteen. Born in the Qun and all. People usually find it intimidating though."

"Like you," Dorian says, lifting a brow, and Bull smiles awkwardly.

"Yup. Like me."

Intimidating, however, isn't something Bull is most of the time.

Dorian sees him often, as they both meet each other when visiting their respective stores to follow the refurbish process. It just so happens that both stores end up opening the same day as well - which is when Dorian's nightmare starts.

"Can I see your tattoos?"

That's a common question in the vicinity of their store - but unfortunately it's never aimed at Dorian, the actual owner of the tattoo shop.

It's always,  _ always  _ at Bull.

Dorian  _ tsks _ , opens the shop door. "You actually want  _ this _ shop, my dear. That man works at the flower shop."

"Oh! The... flower shop?"

Yup. That's right. _ The flower shop. _

When Dorian says that Bull isn't exactly intimidating, it isn't because he can't bring himself to be -  _ because he damn well can  _ \- it's more because you don't usually describe as intimidating a man who spends his days tending to bouquets and arranging ikebanas.

It's a nice flower shop for sure, but Dorian would be lying if he said he wasn't just  _ a little  _ annoyed with it for ruining the gothic-chic aesthetic of his tattoo shop.

"He's pretty friggin' nice," Sera says one day as she's concentrated in tattooing a client and Dorian is busy sketching something at the front of the shop. "Also big. Large. Chonk.  _ Thicc _ ."

"Stop thinking about qunari women while you're tattooing a client, Sera, or you'll drool all over her."

" _ Why can't I find any though _ ," she whines, while never breaking eye contact from her work. A true professional.

"Maybe you should ask your wife. She might have the answers."

"She doesn't, tho. I ask her every day."

"Bless Dagna and her heart of gold. The level of patience required to handle you is certainly more than I could ever have."

" _ Psssh.  _ As if I would marry  _ you _ , prissy pants."

"You never fail to flatter me, Sera."

Felix laughs about it, because  _ of course he does. _

"You gotta admit it's a bit hilarious," he says, wiping tears from his eyes. They're sitting directly outside both shops, admiring the ivy that seamlessly divides the flower shop from the tattoo shop. Dorian makes a face.

"It's as if the world is trying to spite me," Dorian says, just for Felix, the same moment Bull steps out and goes to work on a fern that's low on the floor. Dorian and Felix tilt their heads the same direction, watching him work. " _ Tempting _ me, even."

Felix is about to say something, but just then a patron comes up and asks Bull, for the upteenth time that week, about getting a tattoo. Dorian groans.  _ Loudly. _

The man is wearing a beige apron stained with dirt. There's a pair of heavy-duty gloves hanging halfway out his back pocket. _ There's a mist spray strapped to his belt _ .

"Are the arms all people see? All they can focus on, really?" Dorian asks Felix after he's helped the costumer. Felix laughs.

"Well, can you blame them, really?"

Dorian sighs, but looks outside at where Bull's sitting on that same bench he and Felix were sharing just a few minutes ago, and yeah. He can't really blame them.

\---

When Dorian arrives at work the next day, he stops right at the threshold and stares.

There is a flower arrangement on his desk.

"Why...?" Dorian asks, and Sera shows up from the back room. "Sera? What's the meaning of this?"

"Oh, that? Big guy left them for us."

Big... guy?

"Why?"

Sera shrugs. "Dunno. Don't look a horse in the mouth and all that, right?"

Dorian unwraps the scarf from his neck and looks back at the flowers. They're actually nice. Orchids and dark-colored flowers make for a beautiful arrangement that goes well with the shop's theme. Almost like it was made with it in mind. So Dorian js annoyed, but not too much.

He puts the arrangement to the side and greets his first customer of the day. He'll worry about it later.

On his lunch break, Dorian meets up with Bull outside.

"Love the flowers," he says, and Bull smiles so widely he could give the sun a run for his money.

"Really?! Oh, good, I was so worried. I tried having it match the whole look of the store."

Dorian looks at him, curious. "So what do I owe you for it?"

"Oh, no, nothing. I figured you deserved something after being so frjstrated with people.coming to .r thunking I'm you."

"Oh. That's very kind of you, but you didn't have to."

"I very much anted to," Bull says, placing a heavy hand in Dorian's shoulder. He locks his knees in place lest he wobbles under the weight. "I had fun making it. Thinl nothing of it."

Hard to think nothing of it when jt's right there, in his eye level. Dorian finds himself sketching beautiful flower tattoos, and hanging them on the walls for the taking.

Three of them are sold and tattooed that same week.

\---

When the flowers in Dorian's arrangemebt are almost dead, an ikebana pops up on his windowsill

Dorianlaughs, but leaves it where it is. The ikebana is beautifully intricate, with wrapping vines and climbing stalks, and Dorian loves it. Lots of people comment on it when they come in, and one person even asks if he made them himself.

And now Dorian is being called the flower-maker while Bull gets confused for the tattoo artist.  _ Great. _

Bull is just guiding another lost customer into the shop when Dorian's sketching a drawing of the ikebana. Bull  _ oooh _ 's.

"That's incredible work," Bull says. "I knew you were good, but I didn't think you were  _ that _ good."

"Well, thank you. I have photos of my work on the walls if you'd like to see it." Dorian turns to the client and smiles. "How may I help you, dearest?"

Bull is still there by the time Dorian's client has left. He's admiring the photos and sketches on the wall.

"What do you think?" Dorian asks, and Bull gapes.

"It's freaking  _ amazing _ . I'm stunned."

Dorian blushes.

"Why, thank you. Your work is just as incredible.l, if I may say so."

"Nah, what you do is way cooler. You imnortalize these in people's bodies. Flowers die quickly."

"Well, yes," Dorian says, touching the petals of the orchid on the ikebana. "But being able to see how these flowers can be shaped into beautiful art, how they can live beyond their purpose.... it's incredible. I love what you do."

Bull is silent as he looks at the pictures on the wall. Dorian leaves him to it and starts a new sketch, trying to work out the curves ofna skull but still thinking about flowers.

\---

Dorian has Sera and Zevran working on his shop, mostly. Good friends, even better workers, talented and passionate. Everything Dorian wants from the people working from him.

And Bull has... well. Bull has the Chargers.

Most days it's just Bull in the store; it's a small place that doesn't need a lot after the morning rush after deliveries. But twice a week, when the delivery is a bit larger than expected, Bull has some help from his employees - or whatever it is they are, really.

Bull introduced Dorian to them the first time they came around, and how could Dorian forget such a lively group of people, really.

Krem is a fellow national who mostly helps Bull organize things in the store and talks to customers. Stitches and Dalish arrange the flowers and helps with cutting and arranging. Skinner and Rocky move the biggest boxes and vases from the delivery truck, and Grim is their silent driver. Dorian suspects they have a warehouse somewhere, where they receive the goods before sending them off to the store.

Or maybe an actual flower farm. Dorian can see Bull in the fields, tending to the plants, inspecting the ground and making sure things are in order.

It's a warm day out (at least by Skyhold's standards) and Dorian decides to leave his jacket in his shop for once, revealing his arms in his short sleeved shirt and black vest. Dalish sees him first and gasps.

"Oh my goodness! I never knew you had such incredible tattoos!"

Dorian laughs, blushes. "Well, if a tattoo artist doesn't have amazing tattoos, then I'd be worried about his work, to be honest.

"Can I see?" She asks, reaching out towards Dorian's sleeves, and Dorian nods.

They are beautiful pieces, Dorian knows. In one arm he has a full sleeve with his house snake and several other Tevinter afrescos; it almost looks like a stained glass window, and he's had many compliments about it. On his other is a web of intricate geometrical images mixed with different magical glyphs and necromancy visuals, to declare his love for the magic he was born with in a beautiful, almost poetic way.

Dalish  _ ooh _ s and  _ aah _ s as she twists Dorian's arms here and there, taking in all the details.

"They're incredible. Whoever made them is a fantastic artist."

"Thank you. They're my pride and joy. Yours are just as marvelous, however; I particularly like the way the green still shines through as if the tattoo was fresh. Dalish magic, I assume?"

Dalish blushes a little, touching her face where the lines of her tattoo frame her face. "Yes. Adding magic to the paint to make it brighter isn't exactly traditional, but I love the results. I'm so glad you noticed."

"I have a keen eye for both magic and tattoos, my dear. My compliments to the artist, and the person wearing the tattoo as well."

She smiles, thanking Dorian again, before turning around and going back to work. Bull approaches him, shirt long gone, a tissue on his hand to wipe the sweat off his face.

"They really are impressive," Bull says, indicating Dorian's tattoos. "You have more than the sleeves?"

Dorian looks up, grins, and in a move that might be a bit bold even for him, says,

"Wouldn't  _ you  _ like to find out?"

Bull laughs, pockets his tissue. "Fair enough," he says. " _ Keep your secrets _ , mister Pavus. See if I care."

Dorian laughs, and Bull walks away. Dorian takes a moment to appreciate Bull's massive back, glistening with sweat. Sculpted like a god, almost.

It's a nice morning, after all.

\---

Dorian and Bull become comfortable around each other after that. Maybe that's what was missing from their relationship; a casual banter, a small joke. Revealing more skin than they usually do to each other, maybe.

Whatever it is, it's nice. Dorian invites Bull to eat at the mall's small cafeteria every now and then, they sit on the bench that oversees their store to sunbathe when the weather is nice, and Bull, stubbornly, continues to make flower arrangements that, much to Dorian's annoyance, match his shop perfectly, and still he refuses payment, saying that these were unsold flowers that would be tossed out soon anyway.

A blatant lie, if Dorian's ever seen one. The flowers are fresh and lively when they arrive at Dorian's store, and he knows by now that Bull would never in a million years discard such beautiful masterpieces.

It does help both their businesses, though. People sometimes catch a glimpse of the flowers on the windowsill before they see the tattoos themselves, and once they stop to admire it's line, hook and sinker. Dorian is also always happy to inform his clients where the lovely arrangement came from, in case they'd like to purchase one themselves.

"I'm glad you found a friend in him," Felix says one day, as they're walking around the mall for Dorian's break.

"He's a great guy," Dorian says. "Doesn't seem to have a mean bone in his body."

Felix hums. "And he's still giving you flowers?"

"What? No! He's giving the store flowers. He's hardly presenting them to  _ me _ ."

Felix hums, and Dorian pauses.

"Do you really think they're for me?"

"Dorian, I love you, brother, but sometimes... you can be really obtuse."

Dorian doesn't reply. Instead he keeps walking, looking ahead, mind working overtime.

He looks again at the most recent ikebana Bull's made for them, caressing the leaves of one of the flowers.

"Zevran?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Bull makes these while thinking of me?"

Zevran laughs. "Oh, he certainly isn't thinking of  _ me _ , mi cariño." He looks up from his tattoo and smiles. "Don't tell me you only just noticed."

Dorian hides his face in his hands, groaning. "I'm a dim idiot, aren't I," he says, and Zevran laughs.

"Your words, not mine."

He sighs, looks up. Stares at the orchids. Feels them judging him.

He then gets up and marches straight to Bull's shop.

Right. It's time to do this.


End file.
